Fifty Reasons
by LeoOsaka Bakura's stalker
Summary: 1sentence, 50 themes Centered around Jade/Luke in a father/son setting. "You know what the ironic and sad thing is Luke, you’re like the child that I never would have had, but am responsible for creating.” Some will be turned into one shots here.
1. Themes

_A/N: Written on a whim, basically a collection of scattered Jade/Luke in a father/son kinda setting. Part of the 1sentence challenge I found on Livejournal. I didn't join it formally, but I wanted to try it out. Some of these I probably will make into full one shots or more. If there's any particular one you wanna see me do, or you wanna do it, just feel free to leave me a review~_

**Fifty Reasons**

01Motion  
Luke tried desperately to not lose his lunch as the ship rocked back and forth; thankfully, he had Jade to hold his hair back when he did.

02Cool  
He remembered watching the Colonel in the fight with the Ligers and he always thought: 'Damn I wish I was that cool.'

03Young  
"Nonsense, I am young at heart….my little cold rotten black heart that has compulsions to hit you when you keep blaming yourself."

04Last  
"You're the last person I would have ever thought I would think of as a father figure and it's a little scary, Jade."

05Wrong  
Luke stared in disbelief when Jade actually admitted his guilt, but he was secretly pleased to have that much openness.

06Gentle  
He was expecting Jade to be rough and cruel, but as he wrapped the bandages around his arm, he realized even the hard soldier could be gentle.

07One  
"You're not just a replica, you're a perfect replica that happens to be its own person, living its own life and having its own unique identity….my goodness, you may be a one of a kind actual person after all," the Colonel pseudo-gasped and chuckled at Luke's expression.

08Thouand  
It felt like he'd thought about it thousands of times…but he still hadn't gotten the courage to jokingly call the man dad.

09King  
Jade seemed to be the king of ducking out of a conversation when it got emotional, so Luke was surprised he didn't leave when Luke started to cry about Asch.

10Learn  
"Give it time Luke, you will learn when exactly you're supposed to bend over and prepare to kiss your boss's ass…your boss being Tear," he smiled watching Luke gape at his choice of words.

11Blur  
In one swift blur, Jade appeared tearing the enemy to pieces; Luke knew he was safe with that old bastard watching his back.

12Wait  
Luke ran after Jade, catching him before he departed, "Jade! You better write me a damn letter this time."

13Change  
"Oh Luke, you all say such things, but I've changed as much as the rest of you," Jade said, but didn't explain watching his band of children banter.

14Commad  
"LUKE! I command you to back down, if you don't…so help me I'll flame burst you myself!" Jade called, casting a high level arte to eradicate the enemy that was preparing to make a lunch out of a stubborn Luke.

15Hold  
He held the older man in a firm embrace, his eyes watered over; if Jade couldn't truly cry for the death of his childhood friend, then Luke would do it for him.

16Need  
Luke poured his heart out into Jade's chest, and Jade just let him vent; even he understood that people need someone to lean on.

17Vision  
"No Luke, I assure you….I can see you just fine without my glasses and I'm not amused by you making faces at me."

18Attention  
"Jade, pay attention to me! Jade!" Luke whined at Jade, who was reading a book; all he wanted was five minute of the man's attention.

19Soul  
"Sometimes I wonder if you have a soul underneath that military uniform, then you say things like that and make me feel better….you're confusing."

20Picture  
_Click. _Jade heard the sound and looked up, facing the camera with a puzzled look and Luke only replied, "It's for my journal."

21Fool  
Jade actually glared at Luke, his hand itching to slap the fool, "If you do something that stupid again, I swear I will open a spot in my heart to hate you."

22Mad  
Luke looked down and felt a little bad, he had almost died after Jade had made him promise to be careful, he understood why Jade was angry.

23Child  
"You know what the ironic and sad thing is Luke, you're like the child that I never would have had, but am responsible for creating."

24Now  
Jade watched Luke pull Tear into a hug and resisted the urge to smile, now Luke was getting the picture.

25Shadow  
It seemed, to Luke, that Jade was the essence of a shadow; dark, quiet, but always there when you turn around.

26Goodbye  
He waved as Jade departed back to Malkuth, there was a prickling sadness in him and it felt like he was losing a parent.

27Hide  
"Luke, I want you to hide in your room until morning…Emperor Peony is very serious about no pants after 7pm."

28Fortune  
"You know, we could just stand in the back and just let Jade wipe out everything…we could make a fortune in the coliseum!"

29Safe  
"Hey Jade, I'm probably not going to be safe after saying this, but you really should have had some kids, you're doing a pretty good job with me."

30Ghost  
Jade was unusually morose about the ghost of his professor, Luke could tell…So he did what any kid would do and attempted….ATTEMPTED to cook him breakfast.

31Book  
"Me? Oh, I just finished writing a book about all our adventures and I plan to publish it and get rich enough to make Anise jealous…but seriously Luke, I'm writing a report, so please go wait in the hall, son, daddy will play with you in a minute."

32Eye  
"If you believe in an eye for an eye, then I just don't have enough eyes to have gouged out, that's why I prefer to make up for my mistakes by fixing futures ones, let's hope you learn to do the same, Luke."

33Never  
Luke would never forget how wrong it felt to hear Jade say, "I'm Sorry."

34Sing  
Tear sung her hymns and Luke watched Jade respectfully close his eyes and listen; he may not praise them, but he showed his respect in his own way.

35Sudden  
When Luke suddenly disappeared, he could hear the others cries, but he didn't show an ounce of concern, Jade didn't mentor Luke to have him die without a stubborn remark first.

36Stop  
Jade often stopped in mid-speak, and Luke was beginning to get irritated by it, "Stop keeping secrets from me, damn it. I thought we were closer than secrets."

37Time  
_Give it time, Jade, it's not easy losing a friend, _The emperor had said, and Jade replied, "Remind me to kill your first child when it's born."

38Wash  
If Luke could wash away all of his sins, he would do what ever it took….even if the displeased look in the Colonel's eyes was already killing him.

39Torn  
He was torn between going with Guy's group or Jade's…it was like…choosing between his mother or his father…but he wasn't sure who was who in this case.

40History  
Luke rooted through Nephry's photo albums the last time they were in Keterburg and some parted of him really wanted to know the history surrounding Jade and his little band of friends, but he figured it was best not to trample on that ice.

41Power  
Even in a clouded state of overwhelming surging power, Luke could still hear Jade telling him to conserve as much as he could, so much for listening to his parental unit.

42Brother  
"So Jade, if you're like my dad, and Asch is like my brother, does that make you like his dad too?" Luke asked and almost smirked at the look of curious bewilderment displayed on Jade's face.

43God  
"Luke, I'm just a godless creature wandering around wondering exactly what to do with myself before madness finally kicks in and someone either kills me or I take care of it by myself, why do you insist on making me someone important to you?"

44Wall  
"You know, you're building walls so high around yourself that you're going to trap yourself in it and when that happens it's gonna take a lot of pick axes and effort from Guy to get you out of there."

45Naked  
Without his glasses he almost felt naked, but even as he trembled try to restrain the power in his body normally limited by those fontech glasses, he wanted to show Luke just how destructively stupid power could make a person.

46Drive  
After nearly crashing into the landscapes of the Meggiora Highlands, Jade moved Luke aside and decided he probably shouldn't teach Luke how to drive their only mode of transportation.

47Harm  
"Do not expect me to say something cliche, like 'I'll keep you out of harms way', but I will make sure you get to the destination, one way or another…Even if I have to carry you in parts," Jade joked.

48Precious  
"You're a real asshole sometimes, but without your sensitive and loving sense of humor, we'd probably all be much more depressed than we are, thank you for that precious bit of sick twistedness that reminds us that we're all still fairly normal compared to you."

49Hunger  
"You know…I think I'm the only one daring enough to eat your cooking without fear of being poisoned," Luke muttered off handedly, silently hoping he wasn't going to drop dead after saying that.

50Believe  
"I don't believe you belong shoved up in that stuffy manor anymore. That being said, all I need is your signature and you can change your last name to Curtiss."

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_A/N: Thoughts are welcomed and encouraged. _


	2. Believe

Believe

Luke watched the waves crashing into the shore from a distance. He missed Grand Chokma. That place was huge, but the view was incredible. The city was actually the most peaceful place he'd been to, probably because of the atmosphere. That being said, he really did not like Chesedonia or Keterburg; respectively too hot and too cold. Baticul was…lonely and boring. It was difficult being there, especially considering he was no longer going to be married to Natalia, giving him no real reason to be stuffed away in a damn hole all the time.

He, of course, often wrote letters to his friends. He missed them dearly. Anise was doing much better now. He'd last heard that she had gotten a pretty nice place in Daath, her parents forgiven of their debt. From Guy…well, Guy was still doing small servitude jobs for the Emperor. That didn't surprise him, but Guy had said he didn't want to reclaim his title until later. Tear was busy in Yulia City, helping get the people there used to life without Miasma or liquefaction. Natalia….well, he saw a bit of her, but she was busy too.

A sigh escaped him again. He was the only one not really doing anything important. In fact, the only one he really talked to frequently was Jade. Of all people, he snorted to himself. The others would send occasional letter, yeah. But Luke could predict by the day when he would receive replies from the Colonel. Perhaps Jade was just as lonely, or he was under enough pressure to feel the need to talk to him. They had done their shares of secret keeping between then.

Luke looked over the last letter absently,

_Luke,_

_My sincerest apologies for the atrocious…things etched into the page. I assure you, I am not responsible for these hideous drawings. His Majesty wished to say hello through me, of course._

_It is very...unusual of me to think so deeply into an unnecessary matter, but everything seems…lackluster. I feel like a parent whose child has left home. It is empty without ridiculous banter._

_Some how I'm disappointed in myself for thinking that way. _

_-JBC_

Luke smiled briefly at the signature that was merely his initials. It was his easy way to prevent getting caught by anyone else. The fact that he tacked in Balfour in the middle amused him a little. Another sigh leaked through. He wanted to go back to Grand Chokma. He mentioned that a few times in his letters. It was strange how Luke felt like he learned more in that time hanging around that total dick of a Colonel, than his seven years of Van's tutoring. He found that much of the time, Jade didn't need to explain for him to catch on.

"Master Luke?" A squeaky voice echoed around his ear.

"What, Mieu?"

"You miss Jade, don't you?" Mieu squeaked sadly.

"N-….no….I don't miss that…." Luke stared at the letter. "Yeah….I do a little. I mean…I miss Tear and Guy and the others…but I know Tear's busy. She said she would come here when she was done there. So I have to wait. Guy is back in Malkuth…"

"Aww Master…Couldn't we go see them?"

"Mieu…that's probably not possible. Because I'm being protected away here. Damn it. I miss being able to leave and go where ever I wanted." He put the letter back on the table. He'd read over it many times and sent his own reply back. He wrote longer letters than the conservative soldier, but he had a child's mind of what he wanted to say. Telling Jade everything from his studies to his fights with the maid about his hair and how confused he was about his feelings for Tear. He had sent that out two days before and Jade probably had already received it. Yet he still found himself clinging to every letter he received.

"Come on Mieu, let's go see father. Maybe he will let us go to the Dojo in the city." Luke didn't sound in the least bit excited about it, but he was going to lose his mind if he didn't leave for at least a little while.

Mieu floated on behind him as Luke mindlessly travelled the corridors, leading out into the open air. There was a commotion going on outside and he could hear the servants with their small talk. He chose to ignore it until he heard someone slip the name Jade in. Now his curiosity was peaked.

He followed the trail of talk until he reached the gate just outside the King's quarters. Without an effort he hopped the fence and wandered up to the large doors. There was obviously something going on if the doors were opened. He spotted a Malkuth military man walking in from the port. Malkuth… Huh….

He grabbed Mieu and darted briskly up the steps. He paused when he heard his father's voice. Keeping low, he listened in, stifling Mieu with his hand.

"You wish to take Luke from us? That's an unusual request of a Malkuth soldier."

"I assure you, he would be well taken care of."

His eyes grew wide as he recognized that voice. _Jade!_

"He is also part of the Kimlasca royal family. That is not something easily erased."

"Perhaps that is the problem, your Majesty. Duke Fon Fabre, your son is essentially a copy of the child you initially raised. Living as a burden of such a complicated fate, is it not reasonable that he be able to live outside of the manor you've put him in? In truth, the boy you have has no name, no identity."

"Are you saying you can give him all of that, Colonel Curtiss?"

"An identity? No. I can give him a name, however."

"You want to adopt Luke?" The duchess's voice seemed almost…pleased at this. Not because she wanted Luke gone, but she understood that her 'son' was tortured there. Surrounded by nothing and unable to be around people he cared for.

"In that many words…yes. I think he would benefit from at least a temporary stay in Grand Chokma. He has lots to learn and while I dislike passing on knowledge, I've found I make exceptions frequently."

"Your will take care of Luke?" His mother asked softly, her husband speaking up quickly afterwards.

"You're considering handing over our son?"

"I want my son to be happy. If this man believes he can make Luke happy….I would gladly let him go. I see Luke writing to you all the time Colonel. He seems to enjoy what you have to say as well. If you would like to speak with him…and he wants to go…" She looked at her husband and he sighed.

"If Luke agrees to it, then I have no true right to deny him. Especially after all that he's done."

Luke stared over the edge of the stair well and nearly choked on his heart. They were going to let him free and all he had to do was hop, skip and pounce over to Jade. He nearly did that at that very moment, but he didn't want to announce his position like that. Instead he casually grabbed Mieu by the head and walked up the stairs, coming into full view.

"Ah, Luke, good timing. One of your travel companions has come for your audience as well." The Duke motioned to Jade. Both the King and the Duke were speaking with Jade. Luke had to hand it to Jade. He had the most gall he'd ever seen. Either Jade was really confident, or he was straight up toasted. Luke wondered how many drinks it would have taken….

Jade turned his pleasant smile on Luke, "Good to see you Luke. You look as miserable as ever." He said almost jokingly, but to Luke…it was true.

Luke stared the man down. He wasn't even gonna play stupid on this. He didn't want to stay, he had a place to go, with a man who was more family than the people who raised him. "So…." He started, "Will my name be Luke Fon Fabre Curtiss….or Luke Curtiss?" He asked bluntly.

"Oh well, that's all up to you, Luke." The colonel shrugged with that smile.

"So you heard…Luke…" The king said softly. "Do you want to leave for Malkuth?"

"Well…yeah…I mean…I appreciate everything everyone's done for me here. Technically, I am just a copy. But I'm still blood…Though, it doesn't feel that way to me. It seems so…strange to admit, but this huge prick over here seems more like family than anyone…I can trust him…And yeah…He's really a good guy…somewhere…some how…."

"Luke, you flatter me so."

"Oh shut up, _dad._"

"I would say go to your room…but currently, that's not quite effective." Jade looked back at the Duke.

"What must I do to make it official?" He sighed.

"Just a few signatures will do, my lord." Jade smiled that smile he always did. The 'I wasn't leaving with out reaching my goal anyway' smile. His approached the Duke, one hand still in his pocket, his fingers held to Luke's letter.

_You need to rescue me, Jade. _

_Love, Luke. _

**_A/N: Yeah. Cheesy, but I don't care. I liked the last theme so much I made a full on on it. I may do more like that if I feel inclined. _**


End file.
